Huntsville gazette., 1887-08-20
SEA HOUNDS.
Resemblance Between Land and
Water Animals.

Although the animals of land and
sea differ materially in shape and APP
pearance, they have a certain marked
resemblance in their habits and GUS
toms. Thus the birds. from the robin
to the eagle, present perfect grada-
ton from forms of a mild and gentle
disposition to those of fierce and preda-
tory natures. Turning to the ocean,
we find that this is equally true of the
fishes. The mullet is the robin, and
the savage shark the eagle, hawk or
vulture. So in all groups of animals
the various families are adapted for diff
ferent paths in life, and some of the
comparisons that may be drawn are
most interesting and instructive.
Among the land animals, the dogs
and certain members of the cat tribe,
as the hunting leopard, or cheetah, are
famous for their hunting proclivities;
the wild dogs of Australia, especially,
hunting in organized bands, and ex-
hibiting marvellous skill in running
down their prey. The domestic hound
performs the same service under in
struction; and, by continued training,
it has attained grade of excellence
if any thing superior to that of the wild
animals, whose wonderful instict is
alone the instigator of their actions.
The popularity of these animals, as has
been suggested, is that they hunt in
packs; and, curiously enough, among
certain aquatic and marine forms we
find many similar cases. The true
hounds of the ocean are the fishes we'll
known on the English coast as smooth
hounds, while the species on our shores
are called dog-fsh, from the fact that
when caught they utter series of
croaks, that is called barking by the
fishermen.
The dog-fsh are small sharks, from
two to three and half feet in length,
extremely ferocious. They travel in
large packs, exactly like the hounds of
the shore, and their numbers and their
effect upon the fisheries are, perhaps,
little suspected by those not familiar
with them. While these ocean hounds
are seen in vast hordes on our own
shores, they are not to be compared
with those that appear suddenly and
without warning in English waters,
and bay ten miles wide has been OBJ
served almost completely packed with
dog-6sh. representing unnumbered
millions. The question Of the food
supply of such vast body Of living
creatures is serious one to the fisher
men, as the edible fish are either de-
voured or driven away by them.
1t was my good fortune, some years
ago to witness the arrival of the dog
fish on the Maine coast. 1t was during
the month Of August. Every day the
fishermen had been bringing in large
catches of hake, cod and haddock from
the grounds about ten miles off shore,
and the business was prosperous in the
extreme.
Iweli remember being out myself
with a crew, and with trawl and line
catches were made that tested to the
utmost the capacity of the boats. This
was on Monday. Tuesday evening
strolled down to the little inlet to
watch the boats come in. One by one
the boats under full sail glided in, not
SO low down as usual. Investigation
showed that they were empty. In an
swer to my inquiry, the reply was
"Dog-fsh.'
This meant that the sea-hounds were
on the scent, and had come in from
the unknown region where they spent
the winter, and that the fishing was
over for the time being. Not single
edible fish was brought in. and the loss
of hundreds of dollars was entailed
upon the fishermen through hooks bit.
ten off by the ferocious creatures thai
had charged upon the lines, some OF
which were mile long, and bore per-
haps one thousand hooks, and which
they had severed as though the lines
had been thread.
It was a gloomy outlook for the
fishermen, and the next day a com
plete change of outfit was made. Wire
was above par for ganging hooks; the
village church stove was rendered nse
less, as some one borrowed the wire
that supported the pipe, and two days
after the dogs had "sot in, as an ole
Manner expressed it, all the fishermen
were dog-fishing.
The entire bay was alive with the
savage hounds, that bit at every avail
able object. AS soon as a line was
dropped over, it was seized. and witt